Chapter 7: Eye of Wisdom's Test
"I'm selling potion formulas," Enber announced. "The Sequence 9 Seer and the Sequence 8 Clown from the Seer pathway," he added.
"Two hundred fifty pounds for the former, four hundred fifty for the latter."
This was the plan Enber had settled on after much consideration. Despite recalling several potion recipes, he had complete starter formulas for only a few paths: Spectator, Bard, Reader, and Seer. Other pathways, like Apothecary and Sailor, were only partially recorded in Lord of the Mysteries, with no details for auxiliary materials.
Selling the Spectator formula was risky, given that the pathway belonged to the Psychology Alchemists—a well-connected secret organization in Backlund—along with the terrifying entity behind them, Adam. Enber had no intention of exposing himself to their attention. As for Reader, the host of this gathering had ties to the Church of Knowledge, so Enber didn't want to test their tolerance.
While the Bard formula seemed like an easy choice, Klein—the protagonist in the novel—would eventually sell it here. Considering Klein's impoverished circumstances as a future "God," Enber couldn't bring himself to rob him of a source of income.
This left the Seer path. Although technically controlled by the Secret Order, the low-Sequencer formulas had long since leaked. And with their leader, Zaratul, trapped in the Nation of Evernight, the organization wouldn't likely care about such minor matters.
"A Seer pathway… I need that. I'll give you six hundred fifty pounds for both formulas, if that's acceptable," a woman in the corner of the room finally spoke after a long silence.
The offer was within Enber's expectations.
Glancing around to confirm no one else intended to bid, he replied, "Agreed. But I must insist that you not resell these formulas at this gathering in the future."
"Fine. The Eye of Wisdom can bear witness," the woman replied.
Knowing that Eye of Wisdom possessed a Sealed Artifact capable of verifying authenticity, Enber took out two pre-written potion formulas and handed them to a nearby attendant. The attendant carried the folded papers to the man seated in the single-seater sofa—Eye of Wisdom himself.
The old man opened the papers without looking at them, setting them aside on a small table. Then he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his right palm, and produced a ring encrusted with tiny diamond-like stones.
Its intricate and beautiful design centered around a green gem, resembling an eye. Just a glimpse of it nearly triggered Enber's White Eye to activate on its own. Fortunately, after two nights of practice, he had enough control over his "golden finger" to avoid fainting on the spot.
"I believe this ring is another product of the Reader pathway's Beyonder characteristics. If I ever get a chance to analyze it with the White Eye, I might never have to worry about potion formulas again."
While Enber's mind wandered, Eye of Wisdom slipped the ring onto the middle finger of his right hand. Closing his eyes, he focused in silence.
Suddenly, the green gemstone flared with brilliant golden light, dazzling like the sun. The elderly man extended his right hand, letting the gemstone brush over the potion formulas.
The golden rays grew purer and more intense until they condensed into a seal-like imprint.
"Genuine and effective!" the old man declared, immediately removing the ring and setting it aside, unwilling to wear it for another moment.
With the certification complete, the transaction concluded quickly. Enber received a thick wad of ten-pound notes.
"Six hundred fifty pounds is quite a sum… Too bad it'll be gone so soon," he thought, not giving anyone a chance to interrupt as he asked, "Who here has Garra fish eyes or Manhus monkey brain slices? I'll pay a fair price."
The room fell silent before the same woman who had bought the Seer formulas spoke again. "The Manhus monkey is a creature unique to the dream world and difficult to hunt. But I can provide brain slices—ten grams for one hundred pounds, no haggling."
Gritting his teeth at the high price, Enber quickly counted out twenty ten-pound notes. "Here's two hundred pounds; I need twenty grams."
"Deal." The woman, pleased with his straightforwardness, pulled two tin boxes from her coat and handed them to the attendant for Eye of Wisdom to verify.
Once confirmed authentic, Enber exchanged his cash for the boxes. Flustered, he realized he hadn't brought any containers for the supernatural ingredients.
Seeing this, the woman chuckled lightly. "The tin boxes are worth little—consider them a gift."
Feeling awkward, Enber forced himself to calmly put the boxes away, then scanned the room again for news of Garra fish eyes. But no one spoke up.
Shrugging, he sat back to observe other trades. Some succeeded, some failed, but none interested him. Beyond Garra fish eyes, what he needed most was knowledge—ritual magic and occult techniques, precisely the skills a Reader required.
Eventually, the gathering wound down. Eye of Wisdom arranged for attendees to leave in staggered intervals through multiple exits.
Half an hour later, only two people remained in the sitting room: Eye of Wisdom and Enber.
Sensing the elder's gaze, Enber instinctively tensed. He had expected this. After all, the Reader path was under the Church of Knowledge, and as their operative in Backlund, Eye of Wisdom undoubtedly knew the Sequence 9 formula.
"Relax, young man. If I meant you harm, you'd already be dead. After all, you're just an ordinary person," Eye of Wisdom said with a smile, beckoning him over. "Besides, I happen to have something you need."
Momentarily surprised, Enber felt excitement well up. His trust in Eye of Wisdom's character was solid; the tension he felt came only from the man's overwhelming power.
"You have Garra fish eyes?" Enber asked, barely able to contain his anticipation.
"From the looks of it, your body has been tainted by a Beyonder characteristic. No wonder you're rushing to gather potion ingredients. Let me guess: the Sequence 9 Reader characteristic? If it were Sequence 8 or above, you'd already be dead." Eye of Wisdom studied him closely.
"Well, it's actually Sequence 8… but the original owner really did die," Enber muttered internally before nodding hesitantly.
Satisfied, the old man said, "Indeed, I do have a pair of Garra fish eyes." He emphasized pair, making it clear he knew the complete formula.
Resisting his excitement, Enber asked, "How much would you part with them for?"
Instead of answering, Eye of Wisdom countered, "Other than Loen, what languages do you know?"
Enber froze for a moment before catching on. "Hermes. And I know a few words of Ancient Feysac."
"That will do. Do you know any rituals?"
"Yes, I can perform the ritual for creating a Spiritual Wall," Enber replied. He knew others from the novel but hadn't practiced them.
The old man nodded approvingly. "You seem studious. Excellent!" After a pause, he added, "As for the price of the Garra fish eyes—let's make a wager."
"What kind of wager?" Enber asked warily. He disliked gambling—he rarely won.
"Today, you'll pay only one hundred pounds, and I'll give you the eyes. I'll also provide you with study material on Ancient Feysac. If, by next Wednesday's gathering, you've mastered half of it, I'll reward you with books on occult knowledge. But if you fail, you'll owe me another hundred pounds. Care to take the bet?" Eye of Wisdom smiled faintly.
'So the next gathering's already scheduled… Today is Thursday, so that gives me nearly six days. With the White Eye, I should manage Ancient Feysac easily. This seems like a test, not a trap.' Weighing his options, Enber agreed. He didn't really have a choice if he wanted the potion materials.
After pocketing the money, Eye of Wisdom took out a few small metal boxes. "The box on the left holds the Garra fish eyes. The other two are for your brain slices. The woman who sold them to you is of questionable background—I doubt you'd want to carry her items home unshielded."
Recalling how Klein had once tracked people with just a button, Enber quickly nodded and transferred the Manhus monkey brain slices. Though Eye of Wisdom was still a stranger, he was far more trustworthy than the mysterious woman.
After finishing, Enber sighed in relief and even joked, "What if I decide to skip the next gathering? How would you know if I'd study it or not?"
Eye of Wisdom gave him a deep look and said with quiet amusement, "Trust me, if I want to find someone, it's far easier than what any Seer can manage."
Maybe… but in the novel, your deductions didn't even come close to Klein's divinations, Enber mocked inwardly. Outwardly, however, he accepted the challenge with due deference, taking the Ancient Feysac study materials from the formidable Sequence 7 Knowledge Keeper and famed detective.
(End of Chapter)